In response to a case study facilitated by Coventry and Leicester Universities around the issue of churches and domestic abuse, Press Red, a charity who exist to raise awareness of violence against women and girls, commissioned ‘CONTROL,’ a theatre piece designed to help the church and other professional bodies identify warning signs, consider biases and assumptions, and provide signposting for professional support.

Providing audience members with a close-up example of coercive control, this live theatre experience demonstrates the collapse of a relationship in the face of one man’s controlling behaviour, misogynistic beliefs and abusive tactics.

The performance provides a challenging insight into the cycle of abuse employed in a Christian marriage exploring the attitudes, beliefs and culture which supports the behaviours.

To date it has been delivered to Scotland Yard, the Home Office, Lambeth Palace, the Anglican Communion, Tearfund National Conference, Manchester University, and various gender justice conferences.

Audience members have included the government’s domestic abuse commissioner, senior police members, lawyers, survivors, perpetrators, politicians, church leaders, congregations and the wider public.

The play has also received academic research from Aberdeen University.